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TOTAL Lubricants has joined forces with French car manufacturer, DS Automobiles, as part of the DS Virgin Racing Team for season three of Formula E.

Predominantly, Formula E races are held on street circuits, which allows spectators and fans to get much closer to the action than ever before. Events on the streets of Paris, New York and Berlin are particular highlights.

In a vehicle powered by batteries, you may question why a lubricant partner is involved but in a high-performance electric race car, with plenty of moving parts, Total Lubricants play a pivotal role.

A distinct element for success in Formula E is to be quick, but it is vital a car’s energy supply lasts the entire race distance. The Total Research Centre at Solaize has developed a transmission lubricant specifically for the high-stress environment of electric-car racing. It enables efficient optimisation of the transmission, lowering the energy consumption during a race.

Electric motors can also lose effectiveness if they overheat. Total is working with DS Virgin Racing to create specific cooling fluids for the electric motor and inverter. This would help reduce the amount of electrical energy used under extreme racing conditions and again improve performance.

Stephen Parker, marketing communications executive of Total Lubricants UK, said: ‘Not only is Formula E exciting and growing in popularity, but the development opportunities for TOTAL are also second to none. The series will allow us to get a head start on electric car lubricants and coolants, which will help our everyday consumers.

‘Our partnership with DS Virgin Racing gives us a unique advantage in the marketplace when it comes to the lubricants, fluids and greases required to run electric vehicles, as we can develop at a faster rate and in extremis.’

The Formula E season is long, but already the partnership has seen a podium result, with drivers Sam Bird and José María López looking to build upon their success as the year progresses.